The Best of One World
by songbook
Summary: Alternate timeline to The Best of Both Worlds. Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher must confront their feelings for one another in order to rescue him from the Borg. P/C take on Picard's time with the Borg and life shortly after.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The first chapter has a lot of stuff taken from the 'The Best of Both Worlds'. However, I have changed it into a more PC story. Completely altering what takes place. In fact, the Borg Queen might become a little out of character. (I've watched First Contact and feel I can take this liberty after watching her interact with Data.) Again, the only thing that remains true to the original episode is this first chapter. After that, it's all me. But please, feel free to correct me on anything I have screwed up. Or just a comment or suggestion. Trust me, I appreciate them. Thank you.

Now without further ado, Songbook presents: _Best of One World _

Dr. Beverly Crusher gasped as her eyes finally found the familiar face in the mists of the commotion aboard the Borg ship.

"Jean-Luc," was all she could manage and she stared at what she assumed was still her best friend. Before she could react, Worf sprang into action behind her.

"Captain!" He tried to reach Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but a force field of some kind kept him at a distance. It was then Beverly realized that Data was holding her back and Commander Shelby was calling for them to be beamed away. Away from him. Without him.

The walk from the transporter room to the bridge was longer than she remembered. Everyone was so quiet. Even Data had nothing to add to the situation. Nor did Shelby, when usually that woman could not keep her mouth shut. There was nothing to distract her. Nothing. And it got worse when they finally arrived on the bridge. Beverly nearly collapsed at the sight of his empty seat.

"The Captain?" Will Riker's voice pulled her attention back to the matter at hand. They had a report to give. She avoided Shelby's eyes as Data spoke up. At least he sounded neutral.

"We were unable to retrieve him, sir. The Captain has been altered by the Borg-"

"Altered?" No, not altered. Destroyed. Tainted. Were the Borg even human? Was he even human anymore?

"He is a Borg." Beverly almost snapped at Worf. Jean-Luc Picard could never be a Borg. He was the Captain of this ship. Not a life-sucking, destruction seeking, over-supreme life form. He was still a man; still the only man she would ever need.

"We'll go back." Thank you, Shelby. Finally someone was speaking with some sense. "I need more people. We need to retune the phasers again. We will get him out of there."

Geordie LeForge was talking about something technical. About the deflector. The doctor in Beverly gathered all of her knowledge together. She knew what Commander Riker's decision would have to be. One man for taking down the Borg? It seemed like a no-brainer. But this was different. Will had to see reason.

"Will, he's alive." It was Dr. Crusher speaking. She was masking the breakdown of Beverly over a man who was the world to her. "If we could get him back to the ship I might be able to restore-"

"This is our only chance to destroy them. If they get back into warp, our weapon is useless."

Shelby was arguing with Riker again, Beverly could hear the desperation in the poor woman's voice. However, she also heard the pain in Will's voice as he made the most difficult decision of his life. One that Jean-Luc Picard had once made. And that had ended in Jack Crusher's death. Damn Starfleet and it's regulations. Damn the Borg. Damn death. Damn life.

"Sir, we are being hailed by the Borg," Worf's voice was constant. He knew his job. As did the rest of them.

"On screen." And there he was. The great Captain of the Flagship of the Federation of Planets. The formidable Jean-Luc Picard. Now, he was nothing more than a machine. A Borg. Oh, Jean-Luc. They had to save him.

"I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward , you will service us." It was his voice. The deep baritone Beverly knew so well. But who was Locutus? Who was us? She was so caught up in mentally diagnosing everything the Borg could have possibly done to him to make him act like this, she almost missed Commander Riker's order.

"Mr. Worf. Fire." Her heart literally stopped. There is was. The order everyone knew had to come. But he had really said it. Will was willing to kill him. Starfleet was willing to kill the man who had devoted the entirety of his magnificent life to its cause. Jean-Luc. Her Jean-Luc. And he would never know. The man would never know how she really felt.

It didn't work. Beverly did not know whether to jump for joy that she still had the chance to save Jean-Luc or allow the thought that they might not be able to defeat the Borg to enter her mind. But why had it not worked? Why was there no damage? Then she heard his voice again.

"The knowledge and experience of the human, Picard, is part of us now. It has prepared us for all possible courses of action. Your resistance is hopeless." Beverly steeled herself at his words. Nothing was hopeless for Captain Picard. "Number One." She could not bring herself to look at Will. She knew that as much as she was hurting, he was right there with her. They all were.

A casualty. That's what he was to Starfleet now. A casualty. That was it, he was dead to them. How could it be over, just like that? Captain Riker was not exactly pleased with the notion either. But they had a job to do. The Borg were going after Earth and it was their job to assist in stopping them. Dr. Crusher was preparing her sickbay. There was nothing to do now but wait. Wait for Jean-Luc Picard, no Locutus, to make his move against humanity.

Beverly had to admit, William T. Riker certainly knew what he was doing. Much to her surprise so did Commander Shelby. The new Captain executed his plan flawlessly. Not only did he come up with an entirely new battle plan, he saved the Enterprise from further damage and managed to get Data and Worf aboard the Borg ship to rescue Captain Picard.

Her heart leapt to her throat as she waited in the transporter room for their return. What if there was nothing she could do? What if he was already too far gone? What if all of this was for nothing? All of her 'what if's faded when Data and Worf appeared on the transport pad with the man between them. All of Beverly's fears faded into the background. She was a doctor and a damn good one; if anyone could save him, it was her.

She took a deep breath as she looked at the man, not the machine, on her table. The Borg had done some serious damage. They were literally rewriting his DNA. Everything that made him human was slowly fading away. Dr. Crusher glanced once more at Will before she administered the hypospray. So much could go wrong when he woke up. Nevertheless she bent down close to his face, speaking evenly into his ear.

"Jean-Luc. It's Beverly. Can you hear me?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: And now it changes. This will now be where everything changes. Total alternate timeline. One where our favorite couple actually stands a chance. Also, the previous chapter focused sort of in Beverly's point of view. In a way, I guess. But here, you will see more of Jean-Luc and Locutus' point of view. From their very different perspectives. Jean-Luc's thoughts will be in italics.

Previously: "Jean-Luc. It's Beverly. Can you hear me?"

"Beverly. Crusher. Doctor." Locutus sat up and scanned the room. He was on a ship. The Enterprise- the human, Picard's, ship. _My ship. They risked everything just to rescue me. Ah, hell, Number One!_

"The Borg will not leave Locutus. It is foolish of you to risk an entire ship for one man, Number One." Riker visibly tensed at the term, the name that his Captain called him with endearment. "Resistance is futile. We will assimilate you."

"Jean-Luc, you need to lay back down." Dr. Crusher's blue eyes peered intently at him. The laser pointed back at her. She was only human. The technology was what they needed, wanted, desired. He swung his legs over the side of the biobed. The other humanoid pulled a phaser. Such simple technology. He knew what it could do. The human Picard knew what it can do. _He could kick my ass in a heartbeat. Let him kill me. _

"Worf. Klingon. Your species will be assimilated too. Resistance is futile." He was a skilled fighter, but predictable. The Klingons were a dedicated species.

"We will not assist you. We would rather die an honorary death than serve the vile that calls itself the Borg." Worf practically spit out the words, his disgust covering his anguish for his Commanding Officer. Locutus, however, was already evaluating the other one in the room.

"Data. Android. You are inferior." The human Riker had a strange grin on his face. _Data? Inferior? Ha._ The laugh from the human Picard was dry and heartless. Before anymore could be said, a Red Alert sounded through Sickbay.

"Trio to Riker." The normal composed voice of the ship's counselor hung heavy with fear. "We have a situation on the bridge. The Borg have-Ahh!" She shrieked into the comm device and it was cut off suddenly. Captain Riker exchanged a look with the doctor before motioning to Worf and Data to follow him. Dr. Crusher reached for a hypospray to incapacitate Locutus, but was met by the swift backhand of his mechanical arm. He had to rejoin the collective. The Bridge- they have come for him on the Bridge.

"Jean-Luc!" The desperation in the red-haired female's voice was pathetic. She was also bleeding from the scrape he had put on her cheek. _Beverly, I'm so sorry. _"Security to Sickbay." Locutus walked out of the automatic doors and down the corridor. Accessing Picard's memories he directed himself towards the Bridge to rejoin the collective. The Doctor picked herself up off the floor where she had been thrown when he made contact with her face and followed him out.

It was complete chaos on the Bridge when Locutus entered. There were four security officers already unconscious or dead at the hand of the three Borg that had beamed aboard. Worf and Riker were in a struggle with one of them. Data was in the process of disassembling one of them and the rest of the security team was trying to subdue the last one. Deanna Trio was bent over Wesley's limp figure, holding her bleeding arm.

"Will!" Deanna cried out in desperation as their new captain was thrown across his bridge. "Data! We need a plan!" Dr. Crusher rushed out of the turbo lift with three medical officers behind her. She immediately rushed up behind the Borg Worf was presently struggling with and administered a sedative. Locutus moved to intercept the threat. He threw one of security officers to the side and with his human hand, grasped the doctor around the neck.

Beverly gasped for air as Locutus shoved her against the wall. She was a threat to the collective. The threat must be eliminated. _No! Please, no! Not her. _She clutched his hand trying to save her life.

"Jean...please..." she sputtered. Blood stained her face from where he had hurt her earlier and he could feel his fingers bruising her neck. But it was her blue eyes that were filled with pain; an excoriating pain. _I'm killing her, of course she is in pain. I am killing the woman I love. Beverly...my love...Please...whoever you are. Locutus spare her. Please, I need her, even if I am not alive. Spare her. _"Jean-Luc..."

Beverly felt the room spinning around her. She could hear Deanna's cries and Worf's orders, along with Data's sudden presence trying to pull Locutus from her. Suddenly, the machine that used to be Jean-Luc Picard released her. She fell to the floor sputtering as she tried to acquire the much needed oxygen. Her world seemed frozen.

"What happened?" asked Worf. Sure enough, all of the Borg had stopped fighting and were staring into space. The Medical team jumped into action and Data knelt next to the CMO with a tender hand on her shaking back.

"I believe they just felt an overpowering emotion," stated Deanna tentatively. Wesley had regained consciousness and Will was picking himself up off the floor.

"Emotion?" The new Captain joined where Data and one of the nurses (whose name he could never remember) were kneeling next to Beverly. She was trying to hold back the tears that threatened her eyes.

"Love." The word seemed so simple when the Counselor said it. "I think Captain Picard's feelings overwhelmed the collective. I felt an extreme sense of love before they stopped resisting."

"The Borg are not capable of love," spat Worf.

"But Captain Picard is." Deanna stood up, holding her arm to her side tenderly. "If his feelings for Dr. Crusher are as strong as I think they are, this might be the Ace we need. Beverly, can you talk to him?" Using Data for support, the doctor fought her way to her feet. Her voice was hoarse and broken from the pressure on her vocal cords when she finally spoke.

"I know it's still you, Jean-Luc," she whispered. One hand still gripping Data's arm tightly, she reached out and touched the little skin still showing on his face. "Please don't leave me. Jean-Luc, I need you." Tears streaked down her face; the left side stung as the salt of her tears seeped into the open wound he left.

The man in front of her, not the machine, the man reached up and grabbed her wrist. Everyone was holding their breath as the next words were forced out of Locutus' mouth.

"I'm sorry." The grey eyes that had replaced his hazel stared deeply into hers. At that moment the other Borg in the room disappeared. However, in the middle of the Bridge another Borg appeared.

"I am the Borg," stated the female that had just materialized. The Borg Queen had boarded the Enterprise.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Ok. It's been a long time since I've seen First Contact with the Borg, but I'm making the Borg queen my own now so get over it. Of course, you know how they finally defeat the Borg- Picard communicates to Data, telling him to make everyone sleep, ect.

The entire Bridge was silent as the Borg Queen moved toward where Locutus stood unmoving. She stared hard at Beverly's weak figure, as if sizing her up. Will, Worf, and Data had all taken a protective stance in front of her. Even Wesley had moved in concern for his mother.

"Who are you?" Demanded Captain Riker, drawing himself to his fullest potential.

"I am the Borg." She continued to study Beverly, enthralled by the woman's presence in the Borg's mind. "My question is who are you? Your human name is Beverly Crusher. And yet, my Locutus has taken an interest in you."

"Your Locutus?" asked Riker, still not moving from his spot between Beverly and the Queen.

"Yes. Locutus is mine. Therefore, so is the human, Picard. I want to know what power you think you hold over him." There was still a mild curiosity in her expression, but Locutus had returned dutifully to her side.

"Power?" spoke Beverly softly. "What does power have to do with it? He is my best friend...I've known him for over half my life." And possibly loved him for the last number of years. She did not feel the Borg should be privy to this information.

"There is something lingering in the human's brain. If that is not power, what is it?" It was a simple question, but the strings that were attached were pulling thin. Fortunately, Deanna covered for her.

"The emotion you are presently feeling is love. Affection, devotion, to care for someone so much that it consumes your life. It is a human emotion, but Captain Picard is a part of your collective and so are his feelings. Most of them you have been able to override, but in a sense, the _power_ of love is stronger than what you think." The definition seemed so heartless when it was said like that. To explain love...to explain their love was beyond words; beyond what the Borg were capable of understanding about human emotion.

"Love is irrelevant."

"No it's not!" Beverly pushed herself away from Data and stumbled forward, but Riker and Worf stopped her from continuing.

"Locutus is mine."

"Captain Picard is ours," said Will with as much authority as he could muster. The Queen's eyes flashed in anger.

"He is one man. Locutus is a part of me; a part of the collective." She placed a metal hand on his shoulder. If the crew of the Enterprise did not know any better, it could have been considered an intimate move. She was completely possessive of the conversation and of the man standing next to her.

"Jean-Luc," started Beverly without paying any attention to her competition. Deanna nodded for Will and Worf to let her go. "I know you're in there fighting to get out and I want you to know that we will save you. Trust me, Jean-Luc."

"You are irrelevant," spat the Queen. Locutus on the other hand, moved involuntarily towards her.

"Trust me." She reached out her hand to the man she had completely given her heart to. "I trust you, will all of my heart, Jean-Luc." He took another step, leaving the distance minimal between them. Then, with a quickness that made Worf proud, sprung forward and injected the hypospray that had been in her pocket into his neck. Locutus dropped to the floor and the Borg Queen cried out in protest. She struck Beverly in the back, sending her crashing to the floor, unconscious.

Beverly stirred soundlessly in her biobed, taking in the sounds of her sickbay. Just as suddenly as she had awoke, the events that led to her comatose came flooding back to her. She sat up much too fast, throwing her legs over the side of the bed, only slowing down to steady her spinning mind. The nurse on duty was telling her to get back in bed but she was already on her feet and asking questions.

"Where is he? What happened?" Alyssa Ogawa crossed sickbay to put her boss back into bed.

"Dr. Crusher, please remain in bed. You have several painful injuries that we are still treating." Slowly and with much protesting, Alyssa and a few of her colleagues managed to get her back into a reclined position.

"I just need to see him, Alyssa. Please tell me he is still on this ship." The head nurse almost cried at the desperation and heartbreaking tone of the Chief Medical Officer's voice.

"Tell her to lay back down." The voice was hushed and gruff, but it was unmistakably his.

"Jean-Luc," she breathed, letting all of her emotions sweep over her. The damn medicine was making her weepy. She whirled around at the sound of his voice, finally finding him one bed to her left. There were still wires and pieces of metal attached to his body, but he was there. Safe in her Sickbay.

"Beverly, lay back down." He was tired, she could tell by the tone of his voice. Dr. Crusher could tell that her team had been working to remove the Borg devices from him, but it would take some time.

"You're..." Alive? No, he had always been alive. "You're you again."

"Present and accounted for. Now, don't make me order you to bed rest, Doctor." The sarcasm was hinted at, but all effort to put humor in his voice was lost. Beverly almost asked him how they were able to get him back, but she knew someone would be able to answer that question in time, but at the moment, she did not really care. He was hers again. Captain Jean-Luc Picard was back. She turned her attention to her staff.

"Please, may I just see him? I promise to be a good patient. Just let me see him." Alyssa smiled slightly, giving her permission with a single nod. She even helped the doctor over to the Captain's bed.

"Beverly, I thought they told you to go back to bed." Jean-Luc's voice was so thin, so weak; it broke her heart to see him so shattered and lifeless.

"I'm right where I need to be, Jean-Luc." Beverly sat on the edge of the bed near his hip, laying her head down on his chest. She could feel his heart beat- constant and strong. His one good hand ran through her red hair as she began to shake. All the tears that had been building up finally came loose and he let her cry- they all did. Beverly lay there on his iron chest, sobbing for the man she loved and he held her as best he could, the machine still getting in the way of the man.

"I love you, Beverly." It was a whisper. Barely a sound. But she heard it in her heart. And in her tears she cried her reply.

"And I you, my love."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Alright, I understand fighting isn't ideal, but these two have a lot of baggage between them. And Picard feels guilty on so many levels. I hope you enjoy it though.

Captain Picard watched Dr. Crusher move around Sickbay, checking the monitors, and reading the tricorder in her slender hand. Will Riker was sitting in the chair next to his bed trying to updated Picard on what happened while he had been under the Borg's control. However, then entire report was falling to deaf ears.

"Will, you did a wonderful job," he murmured, his mind clearly elsewhere.

"Sir?" Riker looked a bit abashed. "You do remember I tried to kill you?" This caused Picard to actually chuckle and turn his attention back to his first officer.

"I remember. And I also remember how you rose above your own personal feelings and put this ship first. You deserve a command of your own." Riker's eyes darkened as he remembered the fate of the ship he was supposed to be Captain of.

"I'd rather be here with you, sir." Will knew his Captain well and he could tell the older man was hurting.

"I single handedly took out an entire fleet of ships with my mind, Will." Picard pushed himself up so he was sitting up in the bed. He had one hand on the bridge of his nose and the other clenched on the edge of the biobed. "Why the hell would you want to be under my command? I doubt they will even restore me to the rank of Captain."

His eyes unconsciously drifted to the red haired doctor who was pacing in front of a monitor across the room. When she turned to her left he could still see the scar on her cheek. The bruising on her neck was still visible, even though several nurses had stopped to try and heal it, but she kept waving them away. Apparently, she had been in charge of removing the machine from his body and was currently studying what they had done to his nervous pathways.

"She doesn't blame you," Will whispered. Jean-Luc quickly turned his head to stare at him. "She loves you; she fought for you. Trust me, she doesn't blame you."

"I did that to her...I hate myself for it." Beverly turned her head slightly to glance in their direction. Her eyes cutting into his self blame. Riker stood up, reaching to shake his hand.

"Just remember that none of us blame you, Captain." Picard tried to wear a smile as he grasped his Number One's confident hand. Will nodded to Dr. Crusher as he left Sickbay, leaving her to her patient. Beverly dismissed her staff, confident there would be no medical emergencies tonight. They had all been amazing in the past twenty-four hours and they deserved a break.

"Jean-Luc, how are you feeling?" The tenderness in her voice was comforting; a comfort he did not deserve. The glow that usually filled her blue eyes was dark and cloudy. He had done that to her- caused her so much pain. He did not deserve her love.

"Physically capable, Doctor." She frowned at the use of her rank and sighed as she sat down in the chair Riker had vacated moments ago.

"And mentally?" His eyes flashed. She was not a counselor. What right does she have to ask? Beverly seemed to see his anger so she lay a tired hand on his knee. "Jean-Luc, forgive yourself."

"What?"

"Forgive yourself. You had no control over anything that happened," she rambled on, trying to make him see reason. "And the fact that you still had some control saved us all. You were the hero in all of this, as well as the victim."

"And yet, you wear the scars." Jean-Luc's statement was harsh and deliberate. Her cheeks flushed hotly.

"For goodness sake, Jean-Luc!" She threw her hands up in the air, jumping to her feet. The rise in her voice was exactly what he wanted. The fight was what he wanted right now; he needed someone else to feel his anger. And of course, the infamous Howard blood in her was too easily agitated.

"I killed thousands of people! I crippled my own ship and crew!" His voice was hoarse, but the volume was as much as he could manage. "I almost killed you!"

"No, the Borg killed thousands of people. Locutus did that. Not Jean-Luc Picard. Not you! And Locutus almost killed me; it was you that saved me!" She slammed her fist down on the edge of the bed. "It was the grace of love that spared my life, Jean-Luc. Your pure love."

"It was still my body, my mind. It has always been my fault. And you want to talk about love? Who am I to love you? For all the hell you've been through in your life, I've been responsible for half of it." Beverly looked slightly taken aback. However, there was no pain in her eyes as he expected.

"You still blame yourself for Jack's death, don't you?" She shook her head and stalked back to his side. There was a determination in her eyes that he had fallen in love with. She could conquer the entire galaxy if she put her mind to it. And it scared him now. "I loved my husband. I grieved for his a_ccidental_ death. I made up my mind to be on a starship and with that came dangerous responsibilities. I sacrificed any hope of a personal life. I pushed you away. I did all of that. All by myself. I caused my own amount of grief. I caused my own pain."

"You don't deserve this," he said bitterly. "I don't deserve this."

"Yes we do. If anything, we deserve each other." She pressed her lips firmly to his. He pulled back, glaring at her. "I never blamed you for what happened to Jack."

"All I have done is hurt you. It was always been my fault. Every time I see the pain in your eyes, it kills me." Why couldn't she understand? Why did she have to be so damn close to him? The seductive sound of her now low voice was entrancing.

"I loved Jack. I did. But I love you. I love you, Jean-Luc." He was still angry, still furious that she did not understand his pain. However, she sure knew how to erase it.

This time when she caught his lips again, there was a possessiveness that startled him. Her hands skimmed up his chest to wrap themselves around his neck. Against Jean-Luc's better judgment at the moment, he let one hand rest on the small of her back, pressing insistently, causing her to smile into the kiss. The other one wrapped her red tresses around his fingers, locking her into the embrace. Just as he had became comfortable with her soft lips, Beverly pulled back.

"If you are going to cause me pain, Jean-Luc, I want all of you to cause me pain. I want to love you. I want you to make love to me without worrying what happened in the past or what will happen in the future." This time, it was he who silenced her, interrupting her lecture with a quick flick of his tongue. She moaned into his mouth as she allowed him to take control of the situation. And the situation was quickly deteriorating. His hands had wondered up and down her body, trying to bring her as close to his aching body as possible.

"Doctor," his husky voice broke through her train of thought as she had begun unzipping his uniform. "There is only so much room on this bed...I believe you deserve to be laid down properly." She giggled, dropping her forehead to rest on his chest; his mechanically heart was beating much faster than normal.

"What do you suggest, Captain?" The sly grin and the cock of her head teased him.

"You are the only one that can release me to my quarters." Beverly slid off the biobed and offered a hand to help him off as well.

"You still need constant medical supervision," she baited.

"Do you think you could spare some of your time?" He wrapped his arms properly around her, letting their foreheads rest together. She closed the distance with a tender kiss.

"Only for the Captain," she breathed and intertwined her fingers through his, and led him out of Sickbay.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** And the conclusion. Sorry it took so long. Lots of tests. Also, I forgot to put a disclaimer in. I don't own any of the characters of plot lines that are from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Jean-Luc lay on his back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The Borg Queen's voice still echoed through his mind. Her taunting as he watched thousands of men and women perish under his hand. Good people; dedicated Starfleet officers giving up their lives to protect Earth and free will. The images of broken ships and broken bodies floated through his mind. However, now there was another vision dominating the storm in his mind.

_As soon as the door slid shut behind them, his lips found hers again, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Her fingers pulled at the fastenings of his clothing; he successfully slipped her out of her uniform top, pausing in his kisses only to pull the blue piece of material over her head. The bare skin exposed made them both shiver, she from the cool air, he from the anticipation. His trembling fingers traced the scar on her face and he kissed her bruised neck delicately; his tongue traced the tender area. _

His hands. His fingers. They had touched her there before, only to do harm instead of pleasure. Or was it pleasure? Had the Borg taken pleasure out of her pain? Jean-Luc still had no idea what made Locutus stop strangling her. His pleading before had done no good- the Borg still fired on the Enterprise and all the other Federations ships without heeding his pathetic attempt to stop them. However, when he begged for Beverly's life, Locutus had stopped, they had all stopped. There had never been fear in her eyes, just pain; never once had she feared for her life, because she had trusted him. Unyielding trust.

_Their bodies fought to be touched, to be closer. There was no material between them; how they had made it to his bed was a wonder in itself. Not more of a wonder than her body. He could see her slender figure beneath his on the wall- shadows illuminated by the stars outside his window. His hands caressed her long, toned legs; the shape of her breasts molded to his hands. Her own kisses to his chest and the way she trailed her nails down to his well equipped hips sent chills of excitement through his body. They longed to be one; to be one shadow on that wall. _

The shadows. He had seen the thousands of assimilated beings in the shadows of the ship. The shadow the enormous cube caused when it appeared next the fleet. There had been dark shadows in William Riker's eyes as he gave the order to fire. His Number One- the man, the crew, he had dedicated his life to and trusted with that same life- had given the order knowing it would be what he wanted. Of course, you can't have shadows without the light, otherwise all that would be left is darkness…Beverly had been that light. Ever steady. Never yielding. Light.

_Her soft whispers and moans of pleasure filled his ears and mind, wrapping him in an ecstasy he had never experienced before. It felt so right being there within her. She needed him, wanted him, trembled beneath his touch, gasped in the pleasure of being with him. Their hips rocked in unison, creating the high they both desired to reach. And reach it they did. She cried out his name in her emotional state._

_"Jean-Luc!"_

"Jean-Luc?" Beverly's sleepy voice startled him. Jean-Luc had not been aware she was awake. "Are you alright?" Her head had been resting on his chest and she tilted it up with concerned eyes. Gently, she reached up and wiped away his tears; tears he had not even known had fallen.

"Did I wake you?" He took her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm.

"No…I felt your heartbeat speed up. Plus, I'm a light sleeper. Comes with the occupation," she grinned, snuggling back into his side. Her head went back down to his bare chest, a hand reached to be intertwined with his own, a leg slipped between his. A calmness swept over him; he was safe in her embrace.

"My heartbeat woke you?" A small chuckled came from her lips.

"I fell asleep to the rhythm. And the rhythm changed. Don't ask about my logic…" With the hand she held, she stroked her thumb against his skin. "You were thinking about the Borg, weren't you?" Jean-Luc was glad that she had not looked up at him again.

"Yes." There was no point in lying, she would be able to tell. He was saved by the clock chiming 0700 hours. "Don't you have shift to go to?" Beverly sighed, but he wasn't sure if it was about the time or the fact he had avoided her question. She sat up, exposing her bare back, searching for her uniform across the room. Once she spotted it, she crawled out of bed, snatched up her communicator and leapt back into bed. Seeing his confused look, she grinned and tapped the pin.

"Crusher to Dr. Selar."

"Selar here."

"Doctor, is there any way for you to cover my shift this morning? I need to stay with Captain Picard. I'll be in his quarters if you need anything."

"Not a problem."

"Thank you, I owe you one." Jean-Luc stared incredulously at her. "What?"

"That's it? That's all you have to do?" She giggled at his flabbergasted reaction.

"Well, _sir_, I am doing my job. As Chief Medical Officer, it is my duty to oversee the health of the Captain after such a trying ordeal. As far as Selar knows I'm actually on duty." She threw one leg over him so she was straddling his lap. She pulled him into a long kiss.

"Perks of the job?" he chuckled. "If I told Riker to cover my shift because I need to stay with my Doctor in her quarters, he would have a field day." They both laughed at the thought of the look on Will's face if Jean-Luc had used her as an excuse for taking some time off. The moment soon ended as a serious look crossed her features.

"You never really answered my question, Jean-Luc." This time blue met hazel as she stared intently. He ran his hands over her arms, contemplating the question. After a few moments, he sighed, finally giving in.

"I can't get the images out of my head. I saw everything, Beverly. Everything Locutus and the Borg did. It isn't just the helpless feeling that I couldn't do anything…it's that I did it. Moreover, people are willing to forgive me," he muttered, as if disgusted by the thought. "I gave the Borg all the information they needed to destroy not only the Federation, but Earth itself. I did that. And yet, you're willing to love me anyway."

"Jean-Luc, if it had been any other man, say Will for example, would you have granted them the faith and forgiveness they have shown you?" He blinked, as if the thought had never occurred to him.

"Yes."

"They are only paying you the same respect," said Beverly. Leaning in, she added, "As for me being willing to love you…I've loved you much too long to let the Borg come between us. If I did, they would win. They can't understand love, Jean-Luc, but we can. You can. That's what makes you human."

Human. _That's what makes you human._ Locutus was not human. Captain Jean-Luc Picard was human. Because he loved. _Love is irrelevant. _But why was irrelevant? Because the Collective doesn't understand it? _It is a human emotion, but Captain Picard is a part of your collective and so are his feelings. Most of them you have been able to override, but in a sense, the __power__ of love is stronger than what you think._ The power of love. Yes, he loved Beverly Crusher with every entity of his being. But there was a greater love of family still. _Captain Picard is ours._ Why would they care that much about him? He was trying to kill them. _Mr. Worf._ _Fire._ But he loved. Loved them all. It saved them…his love saved them. _It was the grace of love that spared my life, Jean-Luc. Your pure love._

"I can love," he stated rather loudly, like a child figuring out the concept for the first time. "I can love you," he said more tenderly, running a finger through her red hair. He reached up to kiss her, taking the woman he loved into his arms. It would take time to heal what the Borg had done to him. But right now, he could love…he had the best of one world…the best of the human world. Jean-Luc Picard could love Beverly Crusher. And that made all the difference in the world.


End file.
